After hearing all the benefits of college savings, the most common question we hear from parents is:

“But what happens with my money if my child doesn’t go to college?”

Great question!

Parents often mistakenly think their money will just “disappear” or will be difficult to reclaim if their child decides to become a dancer, sportsman, or a millennial Instagram influencer instead of going to college.

We want to clear this up–this is wrong! Your money will not disappear. Your money is always yours and is always accessible.

Let’s assume that your child decides that he or she wants to become the next Kylie Jenner and Instagram their way to fame and fortune rather than go to UCLA to study chemical engineering.

Parenthood significantly changes our lifestyle. This change begins the minute the pregnancy test is positive, which puts us in total shock and happiness, and continues to the moment when the child heads off to university. As parents, we have invested nearly two decades of our time, money, and love into this young person. It’s easy to feel disoriented when suddenly our back seat is empty and our child is in a whole new place. At the beginning, the sense of loss can feel unbearable but, after some time we can proudly enjoy it.

I remember when my neighbor Emma sent her son Leo to college. She told me, “Finally, we’re empty nesters! Now it’s all about my marriage, friendships, work, hobbies, and passions! It’s about what we’re going to do with the rest of our lives.”

Would you be willing to postpone your retirement by two years if it meant your children could attend the college of their choice without taking out expensive student loans?

In 2007, Savingsforcollege.com conducted an online poll asking parents this exact question. If you have kids of your own, you’re probably not surprised that over 80% of respondents said they would postpone their retirement by two full years if their child could attend the college of his or her choice without taking on more debt.

And even so, every parent is always striving to be better and most importantly, to ensure their children have bright future. It can often be daunting task, but parents are relentless and will not back down.

Needless to say, college is getting more and more expensive every year, and there’s no signs of stopping. The good news is, parents have multiple options and more than enough time to get ready to afford college for when their kids come of age.

In this day and age, education is one of the most important things in life of any individual. You can hear a lot of people saying that, but why is that the case? There has to be something to it if everyone keeps saying it. For parents with kids, education is one of those topics that has to be discussed as early as possible – and for a good reason, too. Here at U-Nest, we believe education is the cornerstone of great, fulfilling life.

As parents, it is our duty to provide our kids with the best option when it comes to education – and here is why:

This website is operated by U‑Nest Holdings LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor and a member of FINRA.
U‑Nest does not provide investment advice on investments that are guaranteed by a bank or otherwise,
or that are FDIC-insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value. Please consider your objectives,
529 plan tax considerations, and U‑Nest pricing before investing. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Investment outcomes and projections are hypothetical in nature. U‑Nest does not provide brokerage services.
To understand Calculation Methodology, refer to the Disclosure about College Savings Calculator. See U‑Nest
Brochure for additional information about risks.

College Savings Calculator is a hypothetical tool that demonstrates how monthly contributions,
age-based asset rebalancing, and tax savings may impact the long-term value of your account,
and do not take into account a portfolio’s underlying investment management fees. Calculations
assume the private institution cost inflation is 2.8%, public out-of-state cost inflation is 3.9%,
and public in-state cost inflation is 2.7%. Portfolio is assumed to have only stocks and bonds.
Monthly equity returns are based on historical data from the 10-year track record of the stock market (SPY).
Monthly fixed income returns are based on historical data from the 10-year
track record of the bond market index (AGG). The current college expenses
are provided by collegeboard.org.
Actual account performance may differ due to market fluctuations, changes in recurring investments,
and asset allocation. The information provided here is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent
actual or future performance of any investment option and is not intended to predict or
project the investment performance of any security or index.